Olive Harvest Festival in Milas District and Its Contributions to Rural Tourism

Milas İlçesinde Zeytin Hasat Şenliğinin Kırsal Turizme Katkısı

Abstract

Today, various festivals are organized about lots of different fields ranging from art and culture to sports and gastronomy. In recent years, the number of agricultural- themed festivals in countryside has rapidly increased both in Turkey and around the world. The examples of olive harvest festivals stand out especially in countries that produce olive and olive oil mostly. Generally, the aims of the festivals are to promote local assets, to increase the production and marketing and then to support local development.

In Turkey, Milas is ranked in the first places among the districts that have high potential of olive and olive oil production. In this regard, olive harvest festivals are held in Milas in order to draw attention to high quality olive and olive oil production. With the help of festivals in question, rural tourism activities have been revived and added value to the local economy has been provided. In the study, activities of olive harvest festivals in Milas are discussed in terms of contributions to rural tourism and some related suggestions are made.